From postcards to year-long countdowns, these tables don’t come easy.
Getting a table usually takes a few taps on your phone, but these restaurants operate by completely different rules. We're talking about places where you mail postcards, set calendar reminders a full year out, or join a long waiting list. The lengths people go to just for a meal at these spots is genuinely remarkable, and the reservation process has become almost as famous as the food itself.
1. The Lost Kitchen – Freedom, Maine, USA
Every year, a tiny post office in rural Maine gets flooded with thousands of postcards from around the world; that's how you "book" The Lost Kitchen. The postcards are randomly selected, and whoever is picked receives a call during April. Dinners are served only on Saturdays from May to October.
While The Lost Kitchen doesn’t publish its menu, its “££££” TripAdvisor rating points to a high-end dining experience that reflects its exclusivity and culinary standards.
2. Rao's – New York City, USA
Rao’s is one of New York’s most legendary Italian restaurants, but unless you know someone, you won’t get in. Its handful of tables is “owned” by people who have been coming here for decades. By luck, if you’re invited, you’ll get old-school red-sauce classics served in a room that feels more like a private club for the rich.
Your best shot? Get invited by someone who holds table rights. Some regulars will lend or auction off their spot, sometimes fetching tens of thousands for charity.
3. Disfrutar – Barcelona, Spain
Disfrutar translates to “enjoy,” and that’s exactly what people do here; if they can book. Reservations for this three-Michelin-star restaurant open exactly 365 days in advance and are booked out almost instantly. What you get for all that effort is dinner theater disguised as a meal, run by three former El Bulli chefs who specialize in avant-garde cuisine.
If you manage to secure a booking, you can opt for the Menu Disfrutar Classic* for 315€.
*A tasting menu designed and composed of creations that have become "classics" of the Disfrutar restaurant.
4. House of Prime Rib – San Francisco, USA
In a city where restaurants change concepts every six months, House of Prime Rib has been serving the same quality since the 1949s, and people wait up to a year for the privilege. Their specialty is the ribs they carve at the table to your liking, and they take pride in serving the best beef available. "We serve only the best beef available, the top 2% of all beef marketed."
Though you can reserve a table online, you’ll see how it's booked out for months in advance.
5. El Celler de Can Roca – Girona, Spain
El Celler de Can Roca is run by three brothers, and together they've created one of the most sought-after dining experiences on the planet. Reservations open 11 months in advance and book out very fast, with a typical wait time of 330 days.
The artful tasting menu here is highly technical but deeply personal, drawing on family traditions and Catalan flavors.
6. The Bank Tavern – Bristol, UK
This neighborhood pub, The Bank Tavern in Bristol, has managed to create one of the world's longest waitlists by perfecting its award-winning Sunday roasts. No celebrity chef, no Michelin stars, no molecular gastronomy, just incredibly delicious roast beef and Yorkshire pudding that has been winning over people for years.
The roast menu offers a choice of rare topside of beef, roast garlic and prune porchetta, brisket or ham hock bon bons, and a butternut squash Wellington (vegetarian option).
Every roast is served with the full spread of Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, cauliflower purée, creamed spinach, herbed greens, braised red cabbage, seasonal vegetables, and a jug of gravy.
Price: £19.95
According to their website, "Sunday lunches for 2025 sold out again!"
7. Pujol – Mexico City, Mexico
Chef Enrique Olvera has created something special at Pujol, with dishes like his famous 'Mole madre, mole nuevo', aged for more than a thousand days, which tastes deep and rich. The tasting menu allows you to try a few signature dishes if you're able to get in.
Food tourists often consider a meal here essential to properly experiencing Mexico City, and many visitors plan their entire trip around securing one of these coveted tables. The restaurant offers a six-course tasting menu priced at MXN 3,595 (approximately $215 USD).
8. Damon Baehrel – New York, USA
Damon Baehrel is a chef, author, organic grower, native plant & preservation expert, and owner/sole employee of DAMON BAEHREL and Sagrecrest Native Gardens, a unique 12-acre property/farm and restaurant located in Earlton, New York, in the Upper Hudson Valley that is celebrating its 39th year in 2025!
Damon is the creator of a completely self-derived, sustainable, living off the land cuisine called Native Harvest. If you are lucky to get in, you’re treated to a personal dining experience at a predetermined time. The food here is native, plant-based, and made with ingredients sourced exclusively from the on-site farm.
9. Noma – Copenhagen, Denmark
Noma needs no introduction in the world of foodies, having been named the world's best restaurant multiple times for its groundbreaking approach to Nordic cuisine. Pioneering culinary with foraged herbs, fermented vegetables, and dishes that look like works of art.
The Copenhagen-based restaurant has a notoriously long waiting list, making it nearly impossible to secure a spot. With an average sales of reservations around $1,300 USD, it ranks among one of the most expensive and exclusive dining experiences in the world.
They offer a so-called Taste Buds membership. It is your backstage pass to Noma; an annual membership that shares the latest innovations from the test kitchen and fermentation lab, direct access to the Noma team, in person events, and other benefits and perks throughout the year.
- Twelve unreleased products straight from the test kitchen.
- Two at-home fermentation kits, with online guidance from Noma's fermentation lab.
- First access to all new Noma Projects releases + 10% off all orders
- Many more perks.
Taste Buds enrollment for 2025 has closed. You can sign up to their waitlist to get early access to the 2026 membership.
10. La Mercerie – Marseille, France
In Marseille’s lively Noailles district, La Mercerie has turned a former notions shop into one of the city’s hottest dining rooms. Chef Harry Cummins crafts his menus around seasonal produce, featuring handmade pasta and inventive small plates.
Harry’s offers a surprise five-course dinner Thursday through Monday evenings from 7:15 to 9:30 p.m. for €65. The menu changes regularly, based on fresh, seasonal ingredients, with the option to add a cheese course (€11). Guests can also choose the “Wine Me” pairing (€40), which includes half a glass of wine with each course. Seasonal truffle additions are available at market price.
Tips for Landing a Reservation
Getting into these places is mostly luck and timing, but here's what can help you reserve a table:
Book in Advance
When these restaurants open their booking systems, they usually stick to a schedule. Some open exactly a year out, others follow their own timing patterns. Determine the schedule, set a reminder, and prepare to book quickly when the slots become available.
Be Flexible
Nobody wants lunch at 11:30 AM on a Tuesday, which is exactly why you should be willing to take it. Prime time slots are booked first, and the less desirable times might be your only realistic shot.
Watch Their Social Media
Watch the social media and newsletters of these restaurants to stay updated about new menus, exclusive events, and last-minute deals. It may give you a chance to book a table as they announce.
Get on the Waiting List
You can always ask to be put on he waiting list. If someone cancels a reservation for whatever reason, you may have a lucky chance to get a table.
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